Floor Construction and Method Therefor

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a floor construction for use in a ship, comprising: strut members for supporting the floor construction relative to a construction of the ship, such as frame ribs or a hull; support members which can be mounted on the strut members and comprise hook-in openings for hooking in connecting members; at least one connecting member for connecting support members, wherein the connecting members comprise hooking members for hooking into hook-in openings of the support members. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a floor construction.

The present invention relates to a floor construction for use in a ship. The invention also relates to an extension coupling and a transverse coupling for elements of such a floor construction. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing and/or fitting such a floor construction.

In ships a floor is usually built for the lowermost spaces so that people can spend time safely in these lowermost spaces. Such lower spaces are usually technical areas such as engine rooms. The known floors are therefore fitted relative to structural elements of a ship such as the hull and/or frame ribs thereof. Labour-intensive methods are applied here because such spaces have a complex form due to the form of the ship and are provided with complicating elements such as engines, conduits and the like.

In order to obviate such problems the present invention provides a floor construction for use in a ship, comprising:

-   -   strut members for supporting the floor construction relative to         a construction of the ship, such as frame ribs or a hull;     -   support members which can be mounted on the strut members and         comprise hook-in openings for hooking in connecting members;     -   at least one connecting member for connecting support members,         wherein the connecting members comprise hooking members for         hooking into hook-in openings of the support members.

An advantage of such a construction is that it can be fitted in simple manner at a location of use. Use can be made here of tradesmen with relatively little experience and training in the field, which is advantageous due to the shortage of skilled tradesmen with extensive experience and training. A floor construction can also be applied of members which can be prefabricated and fitted and hooked in in standardized manner.

In a first preferred embodiment the support members and the connecting members are manufactured on the basis of profiles, wherein the openings are definable in the walls. An advantage of this embodiment is that the elements can be manufactured in simple manner from readily available basic material such as the profiles. The desired or required strength can be obtained by selecting the respective wall thicknesses of the support members and connecting members, which determine the strength to a significant extent.

The openings in the support members and/or the hooking members can preferably be manufactured by means of a cutting operation, such as by means of laser cutting. A great freedom of form and a high production speed can be achieved by means of such a technique.

In a further preferred embodiment the floor construction comprises at least one floor element with edges cut along predetermined shaped lines. Such floor elements have the advantage that they can be prefabricated on the basis of the predetermined shaped lines, which no longer requires difficult measuring requiring a high degree of skill during the fitting process. The prefabricated plates can be placed in simple manner once an underlying construction has been placed.

In a further embodiment the floor construction comprises buffer or kick edges arranged along outer edges of the floor plates. This also has the advantage of the possibility of prefabrication on the basis of a previous form definition. In prior art floors the plates were measured during fitting, which again also required great skill. This work further had to take place in the space in which the floor was also being placed, and such spaces are in general rather inaccessible for such operations.

For the purpose of fastening the floor plates the construction preferably comprises fastening means comprising locking members which extend through the plates and can be operated from the upper side, and which engage through rotation under a support member or a connecting member. The operating means hereof are preferably countersunk into the floor element.

For the purpose of vibration damping the floor construction preferably comprises damping means between the support and/or connecting members and the floor plates. This prevents undesirable transmission and/or sounds amplified by resonance.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the floor construction comprises at least one extension coupling for extending the support members. An interesting advantage hereof is that the support members can have a relatively short length for the assembly or fitting of the floor construction. These parts can hereby be fitted in easily manageable manner. It is generally impractical to reach the lower spaces of a ship with long elements.

The extension coupling preferably comprises means for preventing a shifting between support member parts for coupling in at least one direction of movement along a cross-sectional line of the support member.

The extension coupling more preferably also comprises at least one longitudinal blocking means arranged in the side wall of the support member, and/or at least one lateral blocking means arranged in an upper, and/or lower wall of the support member, and/or comprises a vertical blocking means. Using such means a simple fitting is realized in combination with a great reliability of the construction. The forms of these components can be manufactured in rapid and precise manner by means of said cutting techniques.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a extension coupling for profiles comprising of preventing a shifting between support member parts for coupling in at least one direction of movement along a cross-sectional line of the support member. This coupling here preferably comprises at least one longitudinal blocking means arranged in the side wall of the support member, and/or at least one lateral blocking means arranged in an upper and/or lower wall of the support member, and/or a vertical blocking means.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a transverse coupling for profiles and transverse profiles for a floor construction as according to one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising hooking members for hooking into hook-in openings of the support members, wherein the support members and the connecting members are manufactured on the basis of profiles, wherein the openings are definable in the walls.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a floor construction while applying one or more components of one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for:

-   -   determining the correct orientation of the floor, such as the         height, relative to a surrounding space of the floor, such as         the engine room of a ship;     -   determining the form of the floor by determining the peripheral         form and possible openings in the floor, for instance for         conduits or equipment;     -   defining a support construction. An advantage of such a method         according to the present invention is that determining the size         of the construction is separated from the fitting, whereby the         components can be embodied in advantageous and manpower-friendly         manner in an environment properly equipped for the purpose.

For this purpose a further embodiment provides steps for prefabrication of the components for later fitting in a location of use.

In order to realize an advantageous aid in the fitting, the invention also provides in an embodiment steps for arranging a component code on a component for the purpose of determining where in the floor the component must be placed. The fitter hereby only has to apply the component with the correct code. The code can be arranged on or in the component with the same cutting tool used for the manufacture thereof.

Further features and details of the present invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow on the basis of several preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of three components of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components of FIG. 1, comprising a further measure.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a further preferred embodiment in assembled position.

Similar components of different embodiments are designated in the figures with the same reference numerals. The skilled person will be able to appreciate the relative differences of such components designated with the same reference numerals within the scope of this text.

A first preferred embodiment according to the present invention (FIG. 1) relates to three beam parts 1,2,3 of a floor construction. Connecting beam 3 is manufactured from a profile comprising side walls 32,34 and lower walls 33,31. This profile is preferably manufactured from a metal. Such a metal is preferably a metal with high degree of inertness, such as a stainless steel, aluminium and the like. Such a profile can of course also be manufactured from more low-grade types of metal. An advantage of an inert metal in the application according to the present invention is that the figure construction can be taken apart, wherein there are no problems, or only minor ones, caused by effects such as corrosion which may affect the material.

Situated at the ends of the connecting beam are hooking members 36,37, which are arranged in line with side walls 34,32 respectively. On the top side the upper wall 31 extends via part 35 in a manner such that hooking members 36,37 are mutually connected by means of this part of the upper wall. This connecting part is not essential, but does provide some strength. The shape of hooking members 36,37 and upper wall 35 are cut out of a profile part. Use is preferably made here of laser cutting, since a suitable precision can hereby be achieved in the manufacture of these parts. This cutting technique is not intended however as being limitative. Other cutting techniques can also be used.

The embodiment further comprises support beams 1,2. These support beams can be embodied integrally. For an improved fitting of the support beams a coupling is however provided to enable mutual coupling of two relatively short support beams in longitudinal direction in simple and robust manner. In this preferred embodiment shapes are cut for this purpose from a beam, whereby the two beam parts 1 and 2 can be fitted to each other while also achieving that after fastening they no longer have any, or hardly any, freedom of movement in length, width and height direction.

Support beam 1,2 is defined in its entirety by means of upper wall 11, lower wall 10 and side walls 12,14. Support beam part 1 is defined as comprising the upper coupling. Support beam part 2 is defined as comprising a lower coupling. The upper coupling comprises an extended wall part 15 of upper wall 11, as well as extended side wall parts 16,17 of respective side walls 12,14. Lower wall 13 of support beam part 1 also comprises a protruding part 21 in line with a part of lower wall 13.

In similar manner the lower coupling comprises wall part 18,19 which lie in line with respective side walls 14,12. This lower coupling further comprises an extended part 13 of lower wall 10. An extended protruding part 23 is arranged on upper wall 11.

In this embodiment the wall of assembled support beam 1,2 will be substantially closed all around after the upper coupling and the lower coupling have been placed against each other. It is however also possible to provide such a coupling with an opening, for instance on the underside, for passage of for instance moisture. It is further also possible to leave small openings for the purpose of compensating imperfections in the cutting process for the manufacture of the parts of the coupling, for instance close to cut corners, so that the positioning effect of the coupling is maintained while possible cutting imperfections will not stand in the way of a correct fit of the coupling. Such cutting imperfections can for instance be caused by an askew orientation of a saw or laser beam, or by the occurrence of for instance burrs. One of the reasons that several components of this coupling have chamfered corners is related to compensating for cutting imperfections. Such chamfered corners do not therefore form an essential part of the invention and can also be omitted. It is further possible for instance to provide ‘inner corners’ with a rounded edge in order to compensate for possible burrs in outer corners. Such a rounded edge can be made by cutting for instance a small circle round the inner corner. For the purpose of a fixation in the longitudinal direction a protruding part is provided in each of the wall parts 18,19 of the lower coupling of support beam part 2. By fitting these protruding parts 25 into respective openings 24 of side wall parts 16,17 of the upper coupling of beam part 1 a shifting of the two beam parts 1 and 2 relative to each other after coupling thereof can be prevented in effective manner, whereby the length of the resulting part is defined and the couplings remain in position in the longitudinal direction. For the purpose of the fixation in the crosswise direction protruding parts 23 are provided in upper wall 11 and parts 21 in lower wall 13, which parts hook into respective recesses 22, 20 of upper wall 11 and lower wall part 13 respectively. A vertical fixation can be realized by means of a bolt, preferably with a head countersunk into upper wall 11 for the purpose of floor plates to be placed thereon, which can be fastened to the underside of bottom wall part 13 using a nut after the bolt has been placed through openings 27,28 and the two parts of the coupling have been placed on each other. These openings are arranged in the beam parts such that they lie mutually in line when the coupling parts are placed on each other.

FIG. 2 shows an opening in the support beam for hooking therein of hooking parts 36,37 and the protruding upper wall part 35 of support beam part 3. FIG. 3 shows an alternative variant with two openings at the same position on the beam. Situated between the openings is a bridge part 52 for further strengthening of support beam part 50.

FIG. 4 shows a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention. Two support beams 1 are shown which support by means of struts 56 on the construction of the space in which the floor must be placed. These struts support for instance on structural elements of a ship or a hull of a ship. Arranged between the two support beams 1 are connecting beams 3, which are hooked into support beams 1 by means of the oblique hooking elements.

Further shown is a floor which is constructed of plate parts 51, which are made to size on the basis of pre-performed measurements and which have a form which fits into the space. When the invention is applied in a ship, this form is for instance adapted to the presence of conduits, installations or structural elements of a ship.

In an engine room floor of a ship in the prior art a buffer edge or kick edge is provided which is attached to a floor frame and made to size in situ. This buffer edge is here generally welded fixedly to support beams for the floor. This requires a large amount of custom fitting in situ, wherein the working environment is rather impractical for the workmen. According to the present invention a buffer edge is therefore made beforehand to size relative to the floor plates and fixed thereto. The whole can then be placed in simple manner at the correct location. In the example of FIG. 4 a buffer edge is shown comprising edge parts 52,53,54,55, which are also formed and fixed to bottom plate 51 beforehand, for instance by means of welding in a workplace optimized for performing such welding operations.

A frequently applied material for floor plates is tear plate. With the present invention it becomes possible to cut the tear plate to size and fit it into the floor such that the figure of the tears forms a pattern as seen over the whole floor. This is possible in that the overall form of the floor is predetermined as a whole, after which the cuts in the plate can be determined by means of computer calculations.

Further significant advantages of the present invention for the practice of laying such floor constructions are that all components can be prefabricated on the basis of information obtained from for instance measurements, wherein the design of each component can be determined in detail. When determining this design it is possible to provide all components with a code, so that each predetermined component can be placed in simple manner on the basis of a design drawing with designation of the codes. The final work of placing the floor construction is greatly simplified here in that lesser standards need be set for the experience, skill and knowledge of the tradesmen. The floor construction can hereby be placed more quickly than was previously possible. In the overall picture of the construction of a ship this also provides the option of managing the allocation of this work much more flexibly, this having a positive effect on the overall construction costs and project completion time for the construction of the ship. Savings of many months are possible here.

The present invention is described in the foregoing on the basis of several preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments are deemed described in combination with each other, wherein all combinations which can be made by a skilled person on the basis of this document must be included. These preferred embodiments are not limitative for the scope of protection of this document. The rights sought are defined in the appended claims. 

1-17. (canceled)
 18. A floor construction for use in a ship, comprising: strut members for supporting the floor construction relative to a construction of the ship, such as frame ribs or a hull; support members which can be mounted on the strut members and comprise hook-in openings for hooking in connecting members; at least one connecting member for connecting support members, wherein the connecting members comprise hooking members for hooking into hook-in openings of the support members.
 19. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, wherein the support members and the connecting members are manufactured on the basis of profiles, wherein the openings are definable in the walls.
 20. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, wherein the openings can be manufactured by means of a cutting operation, such as by means of laser cutting.
 21. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, comprising at least one floor element with edges cut along predetermined shaped lines.
 22. The floor construction as claimed in claim 21, comprising cuffer or kick edges arranged along outer edges of the floor plates.
 23. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, comprising fastening means for fastening floor plates by means of locking members which extend through the plates and can be operated from the upper side, and which engage through rotation under a support member or a connecting member.
 24. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, comprising damping means between the support and/or connecting members and the floor plates.
 25. The floor construction as claimed in claim 18, comprising at least one extension coupling for extending the support members.
 26. The floor construction as claimed in claim 25, wherein the extension coupling comprises means for preventing a shifting between support member parts for coupling in at least one direction of movement along a cross-sectional line of the support member.
 27. The floor construction as claimed in claim 25, the extension coupling comprises at least one longitudinal blocking means arranged in the side wall of the support member, and/or at least one lateral blocking means arranged in an upper and/or lower wall of the support member, and/or a vertical blocking means.
 28. An extension coupling for profiles, comprising preventing a shifting between support member parts for coupling in at least one direction of movement along a cross-sectional line of the support member.
 29. The extension coupling as claimed in claim 28, comprising at least one longitudinal blocking means arranged in the side wall of the support member, and/or at least one lateral blocking means arranged in an upper and/or lower wall of the support member, and/or a vertical blocking means.
 30. A transverse coupling for profiles and transverse profiles for a floor construction as claimed in claim 18, comprising hooking members for hooking into hook-in openings of the support members, wherein the support members and the connecting members are manufactured on the basis of profiles, wherein the openings are definable in the walls.
 31. A method for manufacturing a floor construction while applying one or more components of claim 18, comprising: determining the correct orientation of the floor, such as the height, relative to a surrounding space of the floor, such as the engine room of a ship; determining the form of the floor by determining the peripheral form and possible openings in the floor, for instance for conduits or equipment; and defining a support construction.
 32. The method as claimed in claim 31, comprising prefabrication of the components for later fitting in a location of use.
 33. The method as claimed in claim 31, comprising arranging a component code on a component for the purpose of determining where in the floor the component must be placed.
 34. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein use is made of laser light for measuring the distance from the edge of the floor to a laser measuring device.
 35. The floor construction as claimed in claim 26, the extension coupling comprises at least one longitudinal blocking means arranged in the side wall of the support member, and/or at least one lateral blocking means arranged in an upper and/or lower wall of the support member, and/or a vertical blocking means.
 36. The method as claimed in claim 32, comprising arranging a component code on a component for the purpose of determining where in the floor the component must be placed.
 37. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein use is made of laser light for measuring the distance from the edge of the floor to a laser measuring device. 